Union minister Raosaheb Danve has criticised Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, saying that he was of no use to anyone, and also likened him to a stray bull.
The Congress objected to his "indecent and shocking" remarks and demanded his removal from the Union cabinet.
Danve made the remarks while speaking at a public rally in the Jalna district of Maharashtra as part of the 'Jan Ashirwad Yatra' taken out by the newly-inducted Minister of State for Finance Dr Bhagwat Karad.
Giving his speech in Marathi, Danve said, "Rahul Gandhi is of no use to anybody. He is like a 'saand' (bull) dedicated to god. He roams everywhere but is of no use to anyone. I have been in the Lok Sabha for 20 years and have seen his work." It is a practice in rural Maharashtra and some other parts of the country to dedicate a newly-born male calf to a local deity. That bull is not used for any agriculture or transportation purposes.
The Union Minister of State for Railway further said, "Even if such a bull enters a farm and eats the crop, the farmer forgives the animal saying it needs food." "One should look at the great work being done by Prime Minister Narendra Modi...The government is spending money from its coffers as Railways does not generate enough revenue from various sources, including through the sale of tickets," he said.
Reacting to his remarks, Congress's state unit chief Nana Patole sought Danve's resignation.
"He (Danve) has crossed all the boundaries. His remarks are indecent and shocking. We demand his removal from Union cabinet for using such a foul language against Gandhi," he said.
"It makes me wonder how he can be given such an important post in the cabinet despite his track record of using foul language," he said.
